It is well known that prior art cooking devices have cooked food, such as chickens, hams, beef and fish, in certain commercial establishments by using a fire in a hearth supporting a rotisserie.
Some of these prior art cooking devices use one or more spits that are rotated around an axis so that the food is cooked uniformly. In these prior art devices, gears are used to rotate each of the spits. Since gears are costly to manufacture and maintain, these prior art cooking devices are extremely expensive to make and service. Accordingly, only those commercial establishments with a large demand can justify the expense of this prior art device.
Further, these prior art cooking devices are commonly constructed without a door to allow rapid access into the cooking area of the cooking device. Because there is no door, it is common for the heat to pass through the opening into the dining area of the cafe or restaurant, which adversely effects the comfort level of the customers. Also, workers are adversely effected by the hot working conditions when this heat is not removed from the work area. Also, the removal of this heat from the dining and working areas is expensive and unnecessary.
Further, some of the prior art cooking apparatus embody a plate or heat reflecting device to brown or assist in cooking the food. This plate or heat reflecting device is commonly called a browning plate and is in the prior art cooking apparatus by passing the heated gas produced in the fireplace the surface of the plate facing the food being cooked. Since only one surface is being heated an extended period of time passes before the plate is heated to become effective. Accordingly, the heating of the browning plate in these prior art cooking apparatus is not as efficient as one would desire and efficient operation of these prior art cooking apparatus takes longer than one desires.
Further, to heat the browning plate to its effective temperature in the prior art cooking apparatus takes a substantial period of time. Until the browning plate is heated to its effective temperature, the prior art cooking apparatus is not as efficient as one would desire and energy is wasted or the finished food product does not appear as appetizing as one would desire.
Further, some of the prior art cooking apparatus have a fireplace to burn solid fuel for cooking the food and enhancing the flavor of the food and to burn fluid fuels, such as natural gas, propane gas, butane gas, oil or kerosene, for providing a constant heat source for cooking the food. It has been discovered, however, that in some emergencies, one of these fuels is not available even though electrical energy is. Accordingly, these prior art cooking apparatus are not functional in certain when one of these fuels is unavailable, such as occurs in emergencies.
Further, in some prior art cooking apparatus the remains, such as ashes, from the burned solids cannot be removed until such devices are cooled down. If a large demand for food from these prior art apparatus continues for a sufficiently extended period, the remains will require the prior art cooking device to be turned off before the demand is satisfied. When this occurs, heat energy is wasted and the cooking apparatus is not used economically.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide cooking apparatus that prevents adding heat to a room in which the cooking apparatus is located.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide cooking apparatus that make uses of the fire produced in the fireplace more efficiently than prior art cooking apparatus.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide cooking apparatus that regulates heat removal from a housing into the environment surrounding the housing.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide cooking apparatus that directs heated gas across and transfers heat to a browning plate to maximize heating of such browning plate while minimizing the heat-up time before the browning plate may be used.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide cooking apparatus that provides an electrical infrared heat source to heat the food being cooked until a browning plate is heated to its effective temperature.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide cooking apparatus that provides an electrical infrared heat source to heat the food being cooked until a browning plate is heated to its effective temperature and then turned off to conserve electrical energy.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide cooking apparatus that provides a redundant system of heating from different energy sources so that the cooking apparatus may be used even though one energy source is unavailable.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide cooking apparatus that allows the removal of solids remaining after a solid fuel has been burned without a discontinuation of the cooking of food.